A devastating fire engulfed a dormitory at Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri County, claiming the lives of 16 schoolchildren. The fire, which broke out late on Thursday night, left another 14 pupils severely injured, with many rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment.
According to reports, the fire started while most of the students were asleep, and emergency responders faced challenges containing the fast-spreading blaze. The majority of the victims were burnt beyond recognition. One more student died while being rushed to the hospital, raising the death toll to 17 by Friday morning.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, with a team from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and other agencies on-site to uncover the cause. Authorities, including Nyeri County’s police and the National Police Service Spokesperson Resila Onyango, have called for a full investigation to determine the source of the tragedy.
The incident has left the local community in shock, with parents flocking to the school to check on their children’s well-being. The Kenya Red Cross has also deployed teams to provide psychosocial support to the affected families and the school community.
